Honor Among Thieves I  The Sign of the Sparrow
by Babylon2260
Summary: Cdr. Aeryrn t'Laris becomes a vigilante, seeking vengeance against the people who killed her family. Sort of a Romulan "Robin Hood" story. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Book 1: The Sign of the Sparrow**

**Chapter 1**

**Romulan Starbase, RSE**

Admiral Toreth watched grimly as a wing of Warbirds entered the docking bay one at a time. She counted each of them as they passed the enormous window on the observation deck.

_One..._

The Romulan fleet had suffered heavy casualties in this battle. Two-hundred-no, three-hundred Dominion warships against fifty Romulan ships, ten of them the mighty D'Deridex Warbirds that were now entering the docking bay.

_Two..._

There were five Warbirds in her division. It did not look like all of them made it back...

_Three..._

She watched as the _Khazara_entered the docking bay. She breathed a sigh of relief as her old ship passed low and close. But her exp ression changed from relief to anger as she noticed one of the wings trailing evil-looking black smoke, just above the warp nacelle.

_Four..._

The admiral gripped the railing.

_Four...? Only four made it back? Where was the last one?_

About half an hour later, Toreth watched as the crews of the surviving ships met in the hangar. The uhlans and centurions looked exhausted and shaken; some of them were carrying injured or dead crew members, one was trying not to cry. The commanders and sub-commanders assembled themselves in a line before the admiral and waited for their debriefing.

This was an embarrassing defeat. Admiral Toreth made that clear as she berated the commanders for their tactical incompetence. When she finished, she angrily dismissed them and left the hangar, which had now gone quiet as the weight of their defeat became clear.

Commander Liha t'Laris was the last to leave the hangar. She knew she had disappointed her aunt. The _Khazara_had suffered some severe damage in battle. This would definitely come down hard on her. "Not a single scratch," Admiral Toreth said before she left. Liha had given her word. The smoking wing was now being extinguished and repaired, but Liha did not want to hang around and watch...suppose Toreth came back to have a look at her old ship? Liha shuddered and proceeded down the hall.

"Commander t'Laris."

Liha flinched. Admiral Toreth was standing behind her. Apparently, she had waited for Liha around the corner of a branching hallway so she could catch her on her way to her quarters.

"I would like to speak with you in my office," the admiral said.

Liha was too tired to argue. "Yes, Admiral." She followed the admiral down the branching hallway.

"Where is your sister? I did not see her with the rest of the commanders."

"She never made it back." Liha looked away from her aunt. "Her Warbird was critically damaged. There was no way to communicate with them, and there was no way to know if anyone survived..." her voice trailed off.

The admiral offered the young commander a seat, and sat down at her own desk. She picked up a PADD, typed a message, and put it aside. She picked up a second one, read through its contents with a grim exp ression, and said, "Liha, _vadia_. I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

Liha had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Yes?"

The admiral handed her niece the PADD. "Your sister will not be the only family member you have lost."

**Dominion Prison, location unknown**

Commander Aeryrn t'Laris woke to find herself in a cramped cell with three other Romulans. All of them were injured and terrified. She recognized one centurion as one of her tactical officers. The other two must have been uhlans, newly-recruited cadets fresh from the Imperial War College.

She struggled to stand. She felt very sick and dizzy. Her head felt as if though someone had hit it with a heavy block of metal. She stroked her head and felt a huge gash running along the side of her face, from her forehead to her jaw. It still felt fresh. She tore a long strip of cloth from her jacket and wrapped it around her head to staunch the bleeding. She waited a few minutes for the dizziness to ebb away before standing again. She walked over to the entrance of her cell and looked through the blurry detainment field to see many other cells like her own, full to choking with prisoners. She spotted a cell housing a handful of Klingons, another with humans...she and her crewmates were not the only species in this prison.

Aeryrn's head began to hurt again. She sat down on the floor (there was no room to sit on the one bunk) and leaned against the wall. She turned to the tactical officer.

"How long have I been unconscious?" she asked.

"Ever since we were captured," he replied. "One of the bulkheads came down on top of you."

Aeryrn did not remember getting captured. All she could remember was ordering evasive action, an explosion, and getting thrown from her seat. Nothing more.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we're awake now, are we?"

Aeryrn looked up to see a smug-faced Vorta peering through the detainment field.

"Hello, poppit!" He said cheerfully.

"I'm nobody's 'poppit', Cheek-ears," she said.

The Vorta ignored her. "You must be the commander of the _Keras_," he said. "I always thought Romulan commanders were more...imposing? But you, my dear...you look so young for a commander. A mere child compared to others I've seen. Perhaps the real commander killed himself and put you in his place to save his own face...that's _mnhei'sahe_in your culture, is it not?"

Aeryrn squinted at him. _How does he know mnhei'sahe? Have there been other Romulan prisoners?_ "Yes," she said shiftily. She was not in the mood for explaining her culture to anyone, especially not this smirking, purple-eyed _veruul_.

The Vorta grinned at her. "I have a feeling this will make an interesting interrogation, don't you agree, Shakal'aka?" He turned to a huge, stone-faced Jem'hadar guard, who said nothing. "Your interrogation will be in one hour. Be ready." He winked at her and left.

_Ooh, hwi faelirh ch'susse-thrai! I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face, just see that I don't_, she thought. She was too tired to shout at him, but she hoped her expression was warning enough.

There was no knowing when or how she would escape. _Patience_, she thought. _Perhaps I too, can gain something from this interrogation..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Book 1: The Sign of the Sparrow**  
><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Ra'tleihfi, ch'Rihan (capital city of Romulus)**

"Commander, your next assignment."

Commander Sela took the PADD from a nervous, young soldier. She read through its contents with a cold exp ression on her face. These past few weeks had not been kind to the Romulan Star Navy. It had suffered one defeat after another, as Dominion forces had started moving into Romulan space. The admirals were losing ships faster than they could count. The Jem'hadar ships would just appear out of nowhere, pummel the Romulan fleet and then disappear like smoke in the breeze. Sela's brow furrowed as she read her next assignment.

"Ground work? What is this?" She snapped.

"Colonel S'Harien of the Tal'Shiar needs extra soldiers to keep the peace in Rateg, sir. You know how awful it is there..."

Sela scowled. "I am aware of the situation in Rateg, Centurion. Now would you be so kind as to tell me why I was assigned to do this...police work?"

The soldier swallowed hard. "General Movar said...he said...um..." He did not like the glare Sela was giving him.

"Well?"

"He said he's rotating command positions. There aren't enough Warbirds to go around..."

Sela looked like she wanted to throw something. The centurion backed away from her desk.

"Not enough Warbirds, he says?" She said. She was speaking in that soft, hostile voice again. "I will speak to him about this." She stood up from her desk and strode from her office.

The centurion followed Sela down the hallway. "Begging your pardon, Commander, but it will do no good. He's already assigned commanders to their ships." Sela did not seem to be listening. "And Commander, I hear one of the troublemakers in Rateg is a Vulcan."

Sela paused. "A Vulcan?" She asked. "You don't mean to tell me Ambassador Spock is still here?"

"I don't know for sure, Commander. It could be any Vulcan. Disillusioned defectors, common thieves..."

_Vulcans,_Sela thought. She despised Vulcans. At length she said, "I will consider the assignment. But I'm still going to complain to the General."

**Dominion Prison, Location Unknown**

Aeryrn had lost track of how long she had been cooped up in this prison. It felt like an eternity. The prison medic had not treated her wounds; the gash on the side of her face had left a long, greenish scar that would probably never heal. She stroked it pensively, wondering if anybody back home would recognize her.

That is, if she ever got out of this cesspit alive. Her family probably thought she was dead by now. She had been through a number of interrogations that included prodding, probing, suffocating, and hanging by her wrists on some rack-like device. And the Vorta's cheerful demeanor did not help at all. She was sick of being called "my dear" or "poppit" every time he addressed her. Correcting him did no good, because he would giggle and comment about "Romulans and their propriety".

Aeryrn picked at her prison rations. There was no way out of this place. The floors were made of solid rock, the walls of thick, solid metal; the windows were barely small enough to poke fingers through. The ventilation ducts were no bigger either, but they were big enough to carry voices through. Every few days, she could hear the Vorta reciting the usual spiel before handing out Ketracel-white to the Jem'hadar guards.

A prisoner started laughing. "You gonna finish that, missie?" Aeryrn looked up and noticed a human eying her untouched food. She pushed it toward him. How she had ended up in the same cell as a human, she would probably never know. The guards seemed to enjoy mixing prisoners up with other species. She shuddered at the thought of sharing a cell with a Klingon...

"Any minute now," the human said. "Sokoun's going to be handing out the Ketracel-white. It's been a couple days." The prisoner seemed to enjoy listening to the Vorta Sokoun's annoyed voice as he distributed the white to the guards. Sure enough, Aeryrn could hear him.

_"First Shakal'aka, can you vouch for the loyalty of your men?"_

_"We pledge our loyalty to the Founders, from now until death."_

_"Then receive this reward from the Founders, may it keep you strong."_

The human prisoner laughed. "Shakal'aka? What kind of a name is that?"

Aeryrn did not understand. "What is so funny?" She asked.

"It sounds like 'boom shakalaka' doesn't it?"

"Boom Shakal'aka?"

The prisoner laughed hysterically.

_Must be some form of Earth humor,_Aeryrn thought.

"Ah, never mind. I forgot you were a Romulan," the prisoner said.

Aeryrn rolled her eyes. _This man has lost it,_she thought, as he started chanting "boom shaka-laka-laka, boom shaka-laka-laka" under his breath. She retreated into the corner of their cell. Humans were so strange...

Aeryrn was interrogated the next morning. It did not go well for her.

"Get in there." A Jem'hadar guard threw her into an empty cell. "You will answer to us eventually-"

"Now now, Teklan'ikal. Be nice." Sokoun the Vorta approached the cell entrance and activated the detainment field. "I am so sorry, my dear little sprite. You must forgive him, he is only a Jem'hadar."

_What a stupid excuse..._

Sokoun peered through the detainment field. It did not look like he was smiling this time. "Miss Aeryrn, keep in mind that sooner or later you will give us the information we need. Don't make me use the new Breen technology on you. It pains me to see you in such agony."

Aeryrn paled. Breen technology? She glared at the Vorta. "I'm sure it does, Cheek-ears."

Sokoun gave her a hurt look. "Must you insult me like that?" Aeryrn said nothing. "Expect another interrogation within the next forty-eight hours," Sokoun said sternly, and left.

Aeryrn slumped against the wall of her cell. She began to play around with her belt harness, when she felt a small, thin piece of metal hidden under the woven leather.

_Elements...I forgot I had this..._

Aeryrn was awakened roughly by a guard and brought into the interrogation room.

"Well well. Commander Aeryrn. How are you today?" Sokoun said cheerfully.

Aeryrn tried to look as exhausted and dejected as possible.

"Oh, never you mind, my dear. Please sit."

Aeryrn looked across the room, and saw the mind probing device.

It all happened so fast. Without thinking, Aeryrn pulled the hidden stiletto from her belt harness and hurled it at the device.

It was not a direct hit, but it was enough to damage the device and cause a distraction. The Jem'hadar guard tried to grab her, but she dodged him and sprinted back down the hallway towards the prison ward. She could not leave her crewmates behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Book 1: The Sign of the Sparrow****  
><strong>**Chapter 3**

**Dominion Prison, Location Unknown**

Aeryrn sprinted down the hall, retracing her steps back to the ward where her crewmates were still imprisoned. A Jem'hadar guard blocked her way.

"Stop right there, Romulan," he said. Aeryrn ducked around him and made a mad dash toward the ward entrance. Another guard took a swing at her head.

THUD!

The guard's fist slammed into her face. Aeryrn thought she saw fireworks going off for a second before coming to. She found herself belly-up on the floor. The guard grabbed her shirt and held her up so he could punch her again. Aeryrn struggled to stay conscious as she felt blood pouring from her nose. She turned her head toward the wall and noticed a metal pipe on the floor against the wall. It was barely noticeable. She reached out and grabbed it, swinging it toward the guard's head. She managed to smack him in the eye. It didn't seem to hurt him that much, but it was enough to distract him. As the guard rubbed his ridged head, she picked herself up from the floor and ran down the ward's hallway. She searched frantically for her crewmates.

She found the two uhlans first. Fortunately, they were in the same cell. She began to punch in the deactivation code...at least, what she thought the code was.

"In here!" A guard shouted.

_Fvadt!_She swore to herself as she tried the code again. It was no use. There were guards coming down the hall. In desperation, she took the metal pipe and smashed the keypad. The detainment field flickered and deactivated.

"Where is Centurion Branak?" She asked the young cadets as they stepped out of their cell.

"I saw the guards take him further down the hall," one of them answered.

Aeryrn ordered them to follow. The three of them sprinted down the hall, past cells full of surprised prisoners. At length they found the tactical officer...in the same cell with a bunch of humans.

"Branak, there's no time to explain." Aeryrn smashed the keypad with the pipe and deactivated the cell's detainment field.

"Commander," he said. "I saw a hangar when they took me in for interrogations!"

"Where is it?"

"Main hall, take a left. I know there's a huge window looking out into it, but I don't remember seeing a door."

"How many ships?"

"I counted five Jem'hadar attack ships. If we steal one, we can escape for good!"

Aeryrn looked over at the other prisoners in the cell. They looked frightened.

"And what about them?" she said, cocking her head in the humans' direction.

The centurion glanced at the humans. "We can't take them with us to ch'Rihan, Commander."

"You said there were _five_ships."

"Yes, there were five, maybe six. The hangar is enormous! You could probably fit two or three Warbirds-"

"All right, all right! That's enough!" Aeryrn said. "Get something to defend yourself with. There are guards everywhere looking for me-"

A guard's voice cut her short. "There she is!"

Centurion Branak held up a crossbeam from the cell's bunk. "You mean something like this?"

"That's fine," Aeryrn said. She turned to face the Jem'hadar guards.

The head guard pointed his disruptor pistol at her. "Drop your weapons."

Aeryrn smirked. "You call this a weapon?"

The Jem'hadar fired, but his shot missed Aeryrn's ear. "Drop them. Drop your weapons, or die."

Aeryrn exchanged a glance with her tactical officer. He nodded.

The centurion tossed the crossbeam at Aeryrn, and she tossed the pipe to him. She swung her new weapon at the guards, stabbing one in the chest, smacking another in the head.

"Go!" She shouted at the uhlans. She and her tactical officer started fending off the guards with their makeshift melee weapons.

The crossbeam was no quarterstaff, but then again, a metal pipe was no broadsword. Aeryrn wished she had her honor blade or staff with her...real weapons, ones that could deal serious injuries; not these flimsy metal sticks.

There were four guards. Two Romulans against four Jem'hadar. _Fun_, Aeryrn thought. She swung her makeshift staff at his head. It glanced off one of the thick ridges. She tried again, but missed and hit the guard's neck, snapping the Ketracel-white tube.

"Nooo! You-"

Aeryrn stabbed the guard's stomach with the blunt end of the beam. The centurion came up behind the guard and hit him in the back of the neck with the pipe's broad side. The guard fell forward, and the young soldier started beating him over the head with the pipe.

"Centurion! I think he's had enough. Let's go."

Aeryrn and the uhlans followed Branak down an unfamiliar hallway. They stopped in front of a huge observation window that looked out into a massive hangar, where sure enough, six Jem'hadar attack ships were docked.

"We need to get to one of those ships," Aeryrn said. "That's the only way we can escape back to ch'Rihan."

"What about the humans?" one of the uhlans asked. The human prisoners had followed them. They were speaking quietly to each other.

_Maybe they have the same plan as we do,_Aeryrn thought.

"You three commandeer one of those ships. I will deal with the humans."

"But Commander-"

"Those are your orders, Centurion. Get to it!"

"Yes, sir." Branak and the uhlans proceeded down the hall in search of the hangar's entrance. Aeryrn turned to the humans.

"You two. Come with me." The humans hesitated.

Aeryrn was growing impatient. "I said come with me. I need your help." The human prisoners followed her back to the ward. She checked to make sure there were no more guards before reentering the ward. She found the uhlans' empty cell and took two more cross beams. She handed them to the humans.

"Here, take these and damage the keypads-"

One of the humans spoke up. "Wouldn't it be easier just to find the main power switch and shut the system down?"

"And where do you suggest we look, human?" Aeryrn snapped as she smashed another keypad. "There are guards out looking for me. Just help me out here! And if anybody attacks you, defend yourself. All right?"

She must have frightened the human, because he had not spoken again.

_Why am I doing this?_Aeryrn thought as she deactivated a cell containing a pair of Klingons. They gave her a strange look.

"Um...hi."

"You would save us? Why?" one of the Klingons asked.

Aeryrn suddenly felt nervous. "I suppose I was called to," she said, trying to keep her voice level.

The Klingon who spoke had an eager glint in his eye. "Shall we fight the Jem'hadar together?"

Aeryrn knew the Klingons were warlike, and she knew they hated her people with a passion, but she did not expect this. She nodded.

Aeryrn was almost finished setting the prisoners free, when she heard disruptor fire. Another group of Jem'hadar guards had come looking for her. The Klingon prisoners charged towards them.

_I suppose it's a good thing they're on my side...for now, at least,_she thought. She watched as the Klingon prisoners ganged up on the guards and took them out.

The last cell was deactivated. "Where to now, Romulan?" a human asked.

"There's a hangar containing six Jem'hadar ships. My crewmates and I are going to use one to take us home to Romulus. If you want to get out of this, you will have to escape in those." She noticed everyone was listening to her. "The ships are waiting for you in that hangar. Go." She turned and walked down the hallway leading to the interrogation room.

"Where are you going?" A prisoner asked.

"I have some unfinished business," she answered.

Sokoun was reading from a PADD when the doors to his ready room opened.

"What is going on down there, Shakal'aka..." The Vorta looked up and saw not his Jem'hadar captain, but a Romulan. The very woman who had damaged the new mind probing device.

"Hello, Sokoun," Aeryrn said coldly. She brandished a disruptor pistol at him. The Vorta's purple eyes bugged.

"Now now, my dear. We can settle this calmly if you would like. Just don't kill me..."

Aeryrn smirked. "Oh, I'm not going to kill you," she said. She pointed the disruptor at the crate of Ketracel-white and shot it. The entire crate disintegrated within a few seconds. "I'm going to leave that to your guards."

The Vorta looked like he was going to cry.

"Oh, you should forgive them. They are only Jem'hadar."

"Where is she?" One of the uhlans asked tensely as he watched the other ships leave the hangar. "She's taking too long."

"There she is!" Centurion Branak pointed to the slender figure of their commander as she sprinted into the hangar. She waved up at the ship her crewmates were waiting in. They beamed her aboard.

"Nice work, men," Aeryrn said. She looked around for a chair to sit in, but could not find one. But it did not matter. They needed to get out of here. "Set a course for ch'Rihan," she ordered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Book 1: The Sign of the Sparrow****  
><strong>**Chapter 4******

**Rateg, ch'Rihan**

A transport shuttle docked at the station in Rateg. Passersby stopped to see who it was this time. Several of them had looks of dread on their faces..._Not another Tal'Shiar operative..._

Three soldiers stepped out of the transport-two males and one blond-haired female. By their uniforms they did not look like Tal'Shiar operatives. But the woman...she could not possibly be Romulan. People stared at her as she passed them. She returned their stares with a cold, frightening glance. The onlookers looked away. This woman was one of authority, one who was not to be questioned or challenged.

*****

Commander Sela was not pleased. No matter how much she had complained to General Movar, he still said no. She would not be serving aboard a Warbird this time. He thanked her anyway for her 'success' on her away missions for the past month, but still would not give her what she wanted. And now she was here, in Rateg, with all these people gawking at her as if they had never seen a woman before. She blamed her mother. That was one thing she hated about herself.

Sela and her two bodyguards would be meeting with Colonel S'Harien at his compound. Thankfully, she would not have to put up with too many stares, as their destination was not far from the station.

The compound was more like a villa than anything. S'Harien must have been filthy rich to have owned such a beautiful home.

A servant approached her and her guards. "You must be Commander Sela," she said. "My lord has been expecting you. If you will come with me please." Sela could not help but notice that the servant's spiel sounded canned, as if she had said the same thing to every visitor. She motioned for her guards to follow her.

The servant led Sela and her guards through a lofty corridor to an office, presumably Colonel S'Harien's.

"Please wait here, Commander," the servant said. "The Colonel will be with you shortly."

_Canned spiel again,_ Sela thought as the servant left. She took a seat in front of S'Harien's desk. "You two," she said, motioning to her guards, "wait outside in the hall."

The guards complied, leaving Sela alone in Colonel S'Harien's office. When they had left, Sela slouched forward, rubbing her forehead. The journey to Rateg was exhausting. She hoped S'Harien's hospitality extended to giving her decent quarters...she could use a nap right about now.

She looked around the Colonel's office. Apparently, this man was a decorated official of the Tal'Shiar. And rich, that was for sure. A few commemorative plaques hung on one wall, some old tapestry on another. Lastly, her gaze fell upon a very odd decoration on the wall to her right.

It was a set of swords arranged in the shape of a Mogai spreading its wings. _This man certainly lives up to his name,_ she thought as she stood to examine it more closely. These had to be honor blades. She wondered whose they were before they hung here...

"Ah, Commander Sela I presume," a deep, velvety voice said. Sela turned to see Colonel S'Harien standing in the doorway. "Aefvadh," he added.

Sela felt very uneasy. Tal'Shiar officials were never this warm to people.

"Please sit down," S'Harien said. "We have much to discuss." He sat down behind his desk and laced his fingers together.

"Yes, apparently we do," Sela said coldly. "I believe I was assigned here to do some..._policing_ here?"

The Colonel seemed slightly amused. "I take it you are dissatisfied with your assignment, Commander?"

Sela said nothing. She was dissatisfied, all right. But she knew better than to talk back to a member of the Tal'Shiar.

"I will take that as a yes," S'Harien purred. "But I assure you, Riov Sela, that this mission will be rewarding on your part. Take it as...a form of redemption, if you will."

Sela bit her tongue. _Redemption?_ she thought. _How much does he know of my failures in the past?_ "A form of redemption?" she asked.

S'Harien smirked. "Come now, Riov. You think I am unaware of your failure in Neral's plot to conquer Vulcan?" He noticed Sela's expression turn sour. He leaned across his desk. "Let me tell you something, Riov. Spock's underground movement has spread to other cities on ch'Rihan, Rateg being one of them. But here is what is interesting...apparently, the movement appeals to much of the peasant-folk, some of whom are becoming too outspoken."

Sela spoke, still glowering. "And you want me to control these..._outspoken_ commoners?"

S'Harien's smile broadened. This half-breed was smarter than he thought. "I will put you in command of a small task force, which is to keep the civilians under control. I also want your team to keep the local criminals in check. We have had a few nasty robberies this past month. With a military presence here in Rateg, the people should feel more secure."

_Police work,_ Sela thought. _Great. Just great._ She was beginning to think this was a joke set up by General Movar. _But if it is a way to redeem myself, it just might be worth it._ "Colonel S'Harien, I accept. But only under the condition that I receive the same respect from my soldiers as you do."

S'Harien smirked. "As you wish, Riov."

"And I will want suitable living quarters for myself and my guards."

"That will be arranged, Riov. My servants are preparing them for you as we speak. You are dismissed." Sela stood to leave. "But perhaps we should discuss such matters over dinner. It is getting late."

*****

"Entering Romulan space, Commander."

"Good," Commander Aeryrn said. "Have any sensors picked up our ship's warp signature?"

"So far, not yet," one of the uhlans said. "It's difficult to say. I don't understand Dominionese."

Aeryrn felt very apprehensive. It was hard enough trying to figure out the cloaking and navigation controls, but reading the computers' programmed language was even harder. And what was worse, there were no chairs to sit in. She and her three crew members had been standing during most of the journey, taking a shift off to rest (which was impossible due to the fact that there were no beds to sleep in either, not even a shelf or soft piece of carpet to curl up on, as the previous owners of the ship never had the need to sleep).

"How long until we reach Romulus?" Aeryrn asked.

"We should reach Romulus within the next two hours, if we maintain this speed."

"Good." Aeryrn rubbed her eyes. She had lost track of how long it was since she had slept last. They had been travelling across space for almost a day and a half.

"Are you all right, Commander?" The uhlan asked.

"I'm fine, thank you," Aeryrn said. Her feet were aching. At length she sat down on the floor, crossing her legs. She could not take it anymore. _Those damned Jem'hadar. No seats, no beds...hell, not even a damn replicator!_ She heard her stomach moan...or was it the uhlan's?

The uhlan turned around. "Are you sure you're all right, Commander? You should get some rest."

On any other day, she would have berated the uhlan for making such a suggestion while on the bridge. But considering the circumstances, she decided to let it slide. She was indeed exhausted, and hungry, but there was nothing she could do for the latter. She thanked the uhlan and found a secluded place in the corner and shut her eyes.

*****

Frantic voices jolted Aeryrn from her sleep. "What the...?"

She stood up and approached Centurion Branak manning the navigation controls. "What is going on?"

"I think we've been spotted, Commander."

"Visual."

An uhlan pressed a few buttons on his control panel, and sure enough, a Warbird was sitting in front of them, a little off the port side.

"They are not charging their weapons yet, sir," Branak said.

"Maybe they think we're another Warbird?"

"Unlikely," Branak said. "Our warp signature would read differently from a Romulan ship."

Aeryrn stared apprehensively at the Warbird. It was just sitting there, like it was waiting for them to pass it by.

"Your orders, Commander?"

Aeryrn continued watching the Warbird. "Navigate away from it. See if it tries to follow us. But maintain a course to Romulus. The less people who see us, the better."

"But Commander," Branak said. "Would it just be wiser to decloak, hail them, and tell them who we are?"

Aeryrn turned and faced the centurion. "Do you know how to handle the cloaking controls for this ship?"

"Yes, sir."

"And do you know how to respond if they hail us?"

"Er, no sir. It's in gibberish. It would take a while..."

"Then let's not risk getting shot, all right? Alter course to Romulus. Try to avoid any other ships."

"Aye, sir."

*****

A few hours later, Romulus came into view. Branak and the uhlan looked very happy to be home at last.

"ch'Rihan..."

Something beeped on one of the control panels, and most of the lights on the bridge went out.

"Bridge to engineering," Aeryrn said, activating her communicator.

Nothing.

The other uhlan came sprinting onto the bridge, looking panicked.

"Commander, we are running low on power. There's been some kind of emergency shutdown."

"What is still active?"

"Life support is still on, and the main power core is still working, but it doesn't look like it's going to for long."

Aeryrn tried not to look worried. "Can we speed up at all? Perhaps we can try to reach Romulus faster..."

"I will see what I can do," the uhlan said. "We don't have much to work on, though."

"Just find a way to get us on Romulus's surface!" Aeryrn barked. "I don't care if we have to crash it into the sea, just get us..."

She couldn't finish. As their ship came closer and closer to Romulus, she began to notice the Warbirds. She could count at least three orbiting the planet.

"Oh elements, no..." There was no way to avoid them.

"Pilot!" Aeryrn said. "Evasive action. But keep heading for Romulus's surface."

"Aye sir."

"We're being hailed, Commander. We've been spotted."

"Can you put it on screen?"

Branak punched a few buttons. "Negative, Commander. Looks like the shutdown cut off power to our communications channels."

"Fvadt!" Aeryrn swore. "We won't be able to respond! Maintain evasive maneuvers! Try to open some kind of channel...wait, are we cloaked?"

"I have a channel open, but we won't be able to communicate back to them," Branak said. "We are on listening only."

Aeryrn felt sick.

"Dominion ship! Identify yourself!"

"Continue course to Romulus's surface. Don't you dare stop or slow down."

"Yes, Commander." With a voice like that, no one dared to argue with Aeryrn.

"Dominion ship! Identify yourself!"

"Just keep going, Branak."

"Dominion ship! Identify yourself or you will be shot!"

The Jem'hadar ship shook violently as it took a hit from one of the Warbirds.

"FVADT! MOVE!"

"Entering the atmosphere, Commander."

"Good, good. Don't stop."

Branak and the uhlans looked at Aeryrn as if she were crazy. "Don't stop?" Branak said.

Aeryrn pointed. "There. Take us to that shoreline over there."

"And crash it on the beach? Commander what if there are civilians there?"

"Not the beach, you idiot! Just off the coast. We need to soften our impact as much as possible."

Branak looked dubiously at the uhlan manning the ops controls. The poor commander must have lost it.

"Engage landing thrusters...if possible," Aeryrn ordered.

"I can't! Power's cut off to them too!"

"Impact in three minutes!" the uhlan shouted.

"Can we at least straighten the ship out?"

"Oh elements..."

"Shut up, Centurion. Try to aim for the water there."

"Aaaah! One minute to impact!"

"Calm down, uhlan."

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

_CRASH!_

The ship had landed in the water...albeit a little too close to shore; the impact was surprisingly hard.

"Everyone evacuate the ship!" Aeryrn shouted. "Now, before it sinks!"

Aeryrn, Branak and the two uhlans managed to find an escape hatch on the aft side before it became submerged. The four of them swam to shore.

A task force team had already arrived on the shore before they did.

"Stand up and put your hands on your heads! All of you!"

Aeryrn and the others did so.

One of the soldiers suddenly lowered his gun. "Wait, they're Romulans! Lower your weapons! You, I didn't say put your hands down!" (Branak hastily put his hands back on his head.) "Search them," the soldier ordered. "Check to make sure they're not Changelings.

It took some poking and prodding to convince the soldiers that Aeryrn and her crew were not the enemy.

"You four, you are coming with us. You need to be decontaminated immediately."

Aeryrn breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to be back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Ra'tleihfi, Romulus**

Admiral Toreth leaned over her desk, rubbing her temples in exasperation. Another loss at the Neutral Zone border had cost her fleet two more Warbirds. Dominion forces seemed to be getting stronger every time she and the other admirals sent their fleets to defend their outposts and colony worlds. Jem'hadar and Breen attack ships would just appear out of nowhere and rip through the Romulan fleet like a bullet through tissue paper.

_Never attack what your enemy defends,_the old saying went. It could not be more true.

A door chime beeped softly. Toreth sighed. "Enter."

It was one of the sub-commanders. "Admiral Toreth, Commander t'Laris is outside. She wishes to speak with you..."

"Tell her I'm busy," Toreth said coldly. "I am not in the mood for chatting at the moment."

"She sounded desperate, sir," the sub-commander said. "She claims she came all the way across Federation space in a Jem'hadar ship just to come home-"

Toreth looked up. "She what?" That did not sound like Liha. "Did the woman tell you her first name?"

"Yes, Admiral," the sub-commander said. "She said her name was Aeryrn t'Laris."

* * *

><p>Aeryrn sat out in the hallway. She watched soldiers pass by her, some exhausted, others in low spirits. Apparently the Dominion War was taking its toll on people back home as well.<p>

"Aeryrn?"

The young commander looked up to find her aunt standing in the doorway, a look of disbelief on her face.

"Admiral," Aeryrn answered, saluting her aunt.

"What in Fire's name is going on? I was told your ship was destroyed, how can you be..." The admiral trailed off. She had approached Aeryrn and started touching her face, to see if she was truly her niece. Her finger traced a faint scar on the side of Aeryrn's face.

"Alive, I know," Aeryrn said. "I don't know how either."

Toreth motioned for Aeryrn to enter her office. She offered her a chair to sit in. Toreth sat behind her own desk and activated a PADD. She typed a few words before handing it off to a centurion. She ordered him to close the door behind him. She waited a moment after he left before she finally spoke.

"Aeryrn, _vadia,_" Admiral Toreth said, folding her hands. "You have much to explain."

"I understand, _vada,_" Aeryrn answered. As long as there were no other soldiers around, she had the liberty to refer to the admiral as her aunt. She proceeded to tell her about the entire ordeal...her capture, interrogation, and finally her escape.

Toreth simply raised an eyebrow. "I see," she said. "Then I assume you have been to Mhiessan since your return?"

Aeryrn nodded. "Yes, I have. I believe at this point _you_have something to explain."

Toreth's expression remained grim. "Your parents," she said. "They were not at home when you came to see them."

"No," Aeryrn said. "I even inquired to my father's colleagues about his whereabouts, and they told me he had been missing for almost two weeks. My mother was not there either."

Toreth picked up another PADD from her desk and handed it to Aeryrn. "I have already told Liha the bad news," she said.

Aeryrn read the PADD's message.

It was a notice from the Tal'Shiar.

_To Admiral t'Khev:_

_Your brother, Deletham i-Ra'tleihfi tr'Laris, has been placed under arrest by order of the Tal'Shiar on charges of high treason against the Romulan Star Empire. His wife, Verelan i-Rateg t'Laris, and his son, Raiuhes i-Mhiessan tr'Laris, have been arrested under the same charges. Interrogation and trial will commence next week._

_Jolan'tru._

Aeryrn's mind raced. _My parents? On trial for treason? How?_

She scrolled down to a second message, sent almost two days later.

_To Admiral t'Khev:_

_Deletham tr'Laris and his family have been found guilty of treason against the Empire, and have been promptly executed._

_Signed,_

_Colonel S'Harien tr'Viaen, overseer_

_Koval, Chairman of the Tal'Shiar..._

The message listed several other names, but Aeryrn could not read any further. She leaned back in her chair, a blank look on her face.

"Aeryrn?"

Aeryrn did not hear her aunt. She felt as if her ears had decided to shut off. She closed her eyes. It was almost a minute until the truth finally hit her.

Her parents and brother were gone.

Dead.

Executed for treason.

_But why?_

"_Vadia,_" Toreth's voice came back, but it was too quiet for Aeryrn to hear clearly. Aeryrn stood and placed the PADD back on her aunt's desk. She felt sick.

_Her father was gone. Her mother was gone. Her beloved little brother was gone._

The room suddenly turned on its side, and somehow Aeryrn found herself on the floor before blacking out.

* * *

><p>"Aeryrn, wake up."<p>

"Liha?" Aeryrn moaned.

"Oh good, you're awake." It was Liha, Aeryrn's older sister, who spoke.

"Liha!" Aeryrn sat up. She found she was in a bed she recognized as one of those in her aunt's home. She had visited her aunt plenty of times when she was younger...

_When she was younger..._

The memories came rushing back to her...her father bickering with his sister Toreth, her brother Raiuhes wrestling with her two cousins, Takvi and Hvaid, who were older than he was, and how they often teasingly threatened to toss him over the fence into the neighbors' yard...

Memories of people she would never see again...

"You've heard?" Liha asked.

"Yes," Aeryrn answered. She bunched up her blankets and looked away.

"There was nothing we could do," Liha said softly.

"I know," Aeryrn said, choking slightly as she fought back tears.

* * *

><p><strong>Mhiessan, Romulus<strong>

Aeryrn kneeled on the beach, close to where her family's home stood. She faced the ocean, the great Apnex Sea, as it stretched for miles. She watched as the sky began to change colors with the evening. She drew a dagger from her belt and swiped it across the palm of her hand.

"I will not rest until my family is avenged...this I swear, by my own blood."

Aeryrn watched as the sky turned pink with the sunset. The clouds looked so amazingly beautiful this evening, and the cool breeze coming off the sea was refreshing...a most welcoming sensation that was sorely missed after a long mission away from home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Rateg, Romulus**

"Hey! You there! Get away from that fence!"

Commander Sela drew her attention away from her PADD and looked up. She heard a child shriek, a thud, and scuffling noises retreat away from the fence that surrounded Colonel S'Harien's compound. The weather was particularly nice today. So nice, that she had decided to work outside rather than in that cramped excuse of an office the colonel had set aside for her.

But, there was always a downside for being outside...

The staring.

The people here in Rateg stared at her as if they had never seen a woman before. Hardly three days had passed, and she already had to put up with peeping toms. Thankfully, the guards knew how to take care of them.

"There you are, Commander. I knew I would find you out here."

S'Harien had come out to join Sela. He pulled up a chair and sat across the table from her. "So, what is the latest?"

Sela went back to reading the PADD. "Virtually nothing, sir," she answered. It had been a particularly quiet day: no robberies, no shootings, nothing. Sela had hoped her assignment here would land her something big, but it did not. Crime here in Rateg was not like the big-city crime found in Ra'tleihfi or Mhiessan; it was more like flaky, Rateg-style crime. And still no sign of that Vulcan that S'Harien had told her about. "These damn reunificationists are too difficult to find."

"I'm sure they have a base camp somewhere where they meet," S'Harien replied.

"I find that unlikely," Sela said. "I've dealt with these people before. They don't stay in one place for very long."

"Then perhaps you can find out where they _have_been meeting before they left, and then find a way to track them."

Sela put the PADD down. "And how do you suggest we _track_these people? They are very discreet. They don't leave anything behind that indicates they were in a certain location after they have left it."

"Oh, but they do," S'Harien said. "You and your soldiers are just incapable of finding the right clue."

Sela glared at S'Harien. How dare he insult her! But then again, he was probably right, considering her previous failure with the reunificationists. "Then tell me what this clue is, and we will track them for you," she sneered.

S'Harien smirked. Now they were getting somewhere.

* * *

><p><strong>Mhiessan, Romulus<strong>

Aeryrn refused to have the cut on her hand sealed. She bandaged it, but did little else.

"Must you leave so soon, _rinam_?" Liha asked. "You still have to claim your inheritance."

"You can look after it for me," Aeryrn said. "I should not be long in Rateg."

"This really isn't necessary, Aeryrn," Liha said. "Those old traditions that Mother carried on can wait."

"No, they can't, Liha," Aeryrn said. "It's been a week and a half since our parents were executed. It is tradition in Mother's family for her children to return to her homeland and pray to the gods and elements for our family's safe passage to Vorta Vor."

"Can't we do it here, in Mhiessan? Traveling to Rateg is a waste of time, don't you think?"

"It's _tradition_, Liha! If our aunt had some tradition to follow I know you would follow it."

Liha rolled her eyes. There was some truth in Aeryrn's statement; Admiral Toreth did tend to favor her over Aeryrn at times.

"Like I said, I should not be long. I will only be there for a day," Aeryrn said. "I'll be sure to return in time for my next assignment."

Liha crossed her arms and said, "You'd better. Admiral Toreth is not a patient woman."

* * *

><p><strong>Rateg, Romulus<strong>

Aeryrn stepped off the transport shuttle at the station in Rateg. She had not been here in so many years. And yet, it hardly looked any different. The mountains soared toward the heavens, their bald, treeless peaks capped with snow. The air was cool and dry, the sky laced with sleek cirrus clouds. The buildings that lined the main thoroughfare were old and worn, yet their sweeping, curved roofs gave them a sense of timeless beauty. The administrative building at the center of the city sat on the tallest of the nine hills, its curving roof resembling the wings of the mighty Mogai.

Aeryrn slung her bag over her shoulder as she made her way to the shrine where she would pay her respects to the gods, asking them to guide her parents' and brother's souls to their final resting place in Vorta Vor. The shrine's hall was lined with tapestries depicting the local deities. She knelt before a statue of one of the gods - in this case, an embodiment of the element fire. She took a stick of incense and placed it into the burner. She drew her fingers over the tip, snuffing it out, allowing for the sweetly-scented stick to smoulder slowly while she prayed. She muttered her supplication quietly, but in a firm voice. She prayed to the fire deity to guide her parents and brother to rest, and added for his guidance in her quest for vengeance. She would make this S'Harien person pay for killing her beloved brother, her beautiful mother, her brave father. She vowed to avenge them, with this god, and all the other deities here bear witness to her oath of vengeance. There was no way her family would betray the Empire.

The incense stick had smoked its way down to its last inch by the time Aeryrn had finished her prayer. She picked up her bag, slung it over her shoulder and left. She stood outside the main entrance, tilted her head toward the sky, and breathed deeply. The mountain air smelled so fresh and clean. This was her mother's homeland. Aeryrn could not believe her mother would want to leave such a beautiful place...

* * *

><p>The next morning, Aeryrn decided she had enough time to explore the city. She left the inn with her bag slung over her shoulder again. She had inquired with the innkeeper about her mother's family, the Laris family. He told her that the Laris family was scattered all throughout the region, many of them had married into other clans, losing the name altogether. But rest assured, her clan's blood ran through plenty of people here.<p>

The outskirts of the city and surrounding villages were surrounded by thick forest. The river Isa tumbled from the mountains and cut through the middle of the city, dividing it in two before continuing its journey into the lowlands far to the south.

Aeryrn felt slightly giddy from the high altitude, but that was the least of her troubles. Sure, there were mountains in Mhiessan, but not as tall or as majestic as the mountains here. She was used to high altitudes, so it was not a problem. She wondered how people survived the freezing cold winters up here...

"There he is!"

A harsh voice jolted Aeryrn from her thoughts. A small boy sprinted past her, dodging between the pillars of one of the old buildings off a side street.

"Get back here, boy!" The voice came from a soldier, who was pursuing him. A second soldier followed close behind, with a guard-set'leth on a leash, barking loudly. Aeryrn sank into the shadows. She recognized their uniforms as those of Tal'Shiar officers. Within a moment, both of them had the boy cornered.

"We're the wrong people to be playing hide-and-seek with, boy," the first soldier said. He swung his arm out to strike him, but the boy ducked under it and ran, but did not get far. The second soldier had loosed his set'leth. The boy turned and fled further down the street, the soldiers and their doglike set'leth close behind him. Aeryrn followed them at a distance. At length, she reached them; the soldiers were standing at the base of a tall tree in the middle of a courtyard, the set'leth barking frenziedly.

"Come down, boy! Hide-and-seek does not include tree-climbing! Centurion, get him down."

"Hold it!" Aeryrn shouted. The two soldiers turned and faced her.

"If I may ask you gentlemen, what kind of creature is so swift and fierce that it takes two full-grown male Rihannsu and a set'leth to catch it? A small boy?"

"Back off, lady. This is none of your business."

Aeryrn crossed her arms. "Well, what manner of crime would a mere child commit to have two Tal'Shiar officers come hunt him down?"

The soldiers glared at her. "This boy was caught stealing from the marketplace."

"I stole nothing. I paid for those _ryllhir_," the boy said. His voice sounded strangely cool and level for someone in trouble.

The other soldier spoke. "This boy is no Romulan, therefore he is our concern, not yours."

His comrade elbowed him sharply. "You idiot! You don't go around telling people those things!"

Aeryrn looked up at the boy. He was wearing baggy clothes, and his short black hair looked a little unruly. His face was strangely calm, almost Vulcan-like. In fact, his forehead was smooth.

"Romulan or not, I still don't see what kind of threat this boy poses..."

The first soldier was clearly fed up with Aeryrn's interruption. "You _susse-thrai_," he growled. "I will show you what kind of threat _you_pose!" He drew his honor blade before his superior could stop him. The man charged toward Aeryrn, hoping to skewer her on the tip of his blade, but she was too fast for him. She drew her own honor blade and parried his attack. The two of them fought fiercely.

The soldier with the honor blade attacked with a thrust, but Aeryrn was too quick for him. She blocked his attack. As she did so, his blade caught into a small slit in the center of her blade. She twisted her wrist, instantly disarming him.

The signature of an honor blade forged by master swordsmith S'Talon...a single slit ran down the center of her honor blade, its metal thin and light, but just as strong as any other honor blade.

She stood there, now holding two swords. The soldier with the disruptor pistol looked as equally shocked as his comrade.

The other soldier had drawn his disruptor pistol. He aimed it at Aeryrn.

"Behind you!"

Aeryrn heard the boy cry out. She ducked just in time. The disruptor fire missed her, but hit the other soldier in the shoulder. He disintegrated in less than two seconds flat. She turned and faced him, brandishing both honor blades threateningly at him.

"It would be a waste to kill me," she growled.

"Who are you?" The soldier asked. He continued to point his pistol at Aeryrn.

Aeryrn did not let her blades down. "I am Aeryrn i-Mhiessan t'Laris, commander of the Warbird _Keras_. You?"

The Tal'Shiar officer smirked. "Well, well. I might have known you would come here. Your brother is a sorry excuse for a Romulan. Ha! He loved those _havamir_ so much, he should have bobbed his ears and joined them. Of course, we would catch him in the end. And your parents...what _veruulir_. Fraternizing with the enemy, they were."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your parents are traitors...It looks like that quality runs in the family-"

Aeryrn charged. She had the soldier pinned to the wall in an instant.

"Drop your weapon."

The soldier smirked, but did so.

"Who do you work for?" Aeryrn asked, her voice soft and dangerous.

"Colonel S'Harien of the Tal'Shiar," the soldier answered, smiling maliciously. "Go ahead, kill me."

Aeryrn shook her head. "No. I have seen enough death in the past few months. I will spare you so you can tell S'Harien that I have come to Rateg. And you tell him what happens to his men when they pick on small children." She released him. The soldier glared at Aeryrn as he walked off, ordering his guard-set'leth to follow.

"You can come down, it's safe now," Aeryrn said to the boy. He slowly climbed down and faced Aeryrn.

"You fight bravely. A quality that is the mark of a true warrior," the boy said. His voice was calm and almost sounded...expressionless. His face had the same unamused, unemotional look. But his eyes were shining brightly.

"Warrior? You flatter me, boy."

"My name is Solan," the boy said. "I am most grateful to you for saving me, Commander Aeryrn."

Aeryrn smiled. She crouched down so that her eyes were level with his. "Promise me you will stay safe, Solan."

The look in the boy's eyes changed slightly. He seemed to blush too. "I am able to defend myself if need be," he answered. "My journey home should be safe."

"Good." She stood up. The boy turned to leave. Aeryrn was about to give him the Vulcan salute, but thought better of it; besides, Solan had sprinted off too quickly for her to say another word.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Rateg, Romulus**

Colonel S'Harien sat at his desk in his office, typing a report on a PADD to send to Chairman Koval in the capital city. It seemed that the local crime had backed down since Commander Sela had arrived; she certainly knew how to handle the problems here. Indeed, a military presence was beneficial to keeping the peace here. The region of Rateg, despite its antiquity, was still a wild country. The harsh elements of these rugged highlands made it difficult to tame.

S'Harien was just about to finish his report when one of his commanders strode into his office. He carried himself tensely, and he looked slightly shaken, but still had that tough Tal'Shiar reserve.

"What is it, Commander?" S'Harien growled. He was not in the mood for interruptions tonight.

"Sir, Centurion Dharit and I ran into a troublemaker in the streets just now. A female. She picked a fight with the centurion, and he was shot..."

"I trust you found that Vulcan yet, Commander?" S'Harien said, ignoring most of what the commander had told him.

"No sir. But..." The commander fumbled for the right words to say.

"But..." S'Harien gestured for the commander to continue. "But what, Commander?"

"Sir, do any of the reports about this Vulcan say he has a child? A son?"

S'Harien gave the commander a stony look. "I take it you ran into a small boy and mistook him for a Vulcan?"

"Yes sir, but he really was a Vulcan. I could tell by his mannerisms..."

S'Harien blinked, but continued to glower at the commander. _So their quarry had a child. So what? More Vulcans to take care of. Sela would be so excited to hear that..._"And the female?" He asked.

The commander swallowed. "Yes, about her. She fought the both of us, and Centurion Dharit was killed in the process. She bade me to warn you not to harm the civilians here."

"I assume she had a name?" S'Harien asked.

The commander never forgot a name. "She said her name was Commander Aeryrn t'Laris. And a Warbird commander at that."

S'Harien's expression changed from cold glaring to mild surprise. But the change was subtle. "t'Laris, she says," he replied, trying to keep his voice level. "Daughter of the traitor Deletham tr'Laris, I presume?"

"Perhaps," the commander answered.

S'Harien folded his hands. Apparently, troublemaking ran in Deletham's family. This girl was no different from her father. "You are dismissed, Commander," he said.

* * *

><p>Commander Sela was in heaven.<p>

She had not had a massage like this since before her stint on Qo'noS. She lay on her stomach, topless, while a masseur kneaded her naked back beneath his big, broad hands. She had just spent the entire past hour bathing in her host's spa. Just like the good old days when she lived with her father, a general who doted on her, in opulence. She was always her father's pride and joy.

Oh, that felt so good...

"Commander Sela."

S'Harien's voice broke through Sela's reverie. _He could not be serious!_

"Colonel S'Harien," Sela said, trying not to bark at him. How dare he intrude on her down time! The nerve of these _veruulir_from the Tal'Shiar! "I hope you have a good reason for intruding on me at this hour." She dared not sit up, lest he see her bare front.

"I have a job for you, Commander," S'Harien said. The young commander felt a third hand touch her back and trace the length of her spine.

"What are you doing?" Sela said sharply.

"I never knew how pallid your skin is," S'Harien said with a slight purr in his voice. "Was your mother this pale?"

Sela rolled her eyes. "I don't remember my mother that much," she snapped. "And I would rather not talk about her right now. You have a job for me, you said?" She asked.

"Are you familiar with the recent execution of the Laris family from Mhiessan?"

"Laris? I've heard the name," Sela said. She did not keep up with executions very much. The Tal'Shiar executed people every day. "What about it?"

"Do you know a Warbird commander by the name of Aeryrn t'Laris?" S'Harien asked.

_Ah yes,_ that was where she had heard that name. "Of course I know Aeryrn. She's a pretentious whelp. A sorry excuse for a _Warbird-commander_. That towel-boy can best her in a fight." Sela motioned toward a small servant boy assisting the bath's attendants.

"Maybe so, but this _whelp _bested two of my own officers. She got one of them killed."

Sela shook her head. "Well, how do you know he was not drunk?" She snapped. Sometimes, the younger officers were dumb enough to wander into one of the local taverns and order an ale while their commanders were off-duty. "So what do you want me to do with her?"

"Arrest her, interrogate her," S'Harien answered. "Who knows, perhaps she is in league with her parents and brother as well."

Sela turned her head so that she faced S'Harien. "Turn around and face the wall," she ordered.

"I beg your pardon, Commander?"

"I'm sitting up. Now turn around. And don't you dare look at me."

* * *

><p>Aeryrn sat down at a table in the inn's common room. It was mid-afternoon by the time she had returned to the inn, after a long walk through the city of Rateg. She had never imagined how old the city was; it must have been at least a thousand years old, judging by the worn, ancient buildings that dotted the streets, punctuated by newer buildings that looked fresh, clean and brand new.<p>

Aeryrn ordered a drink and turned her attention to the street outside the window. Rateg was so scenic and beautiful...Aeryrn could not fathom why her mother had chosen to live in Mhiessan.

"Excuse me, Miss." The innkeeper had approached her table. "Sorry to bother you, but are you the young lady who was asking about the Laris family here?"

Aeryrn nodded. "Yes, I am. Why?"

The innkeeper sat down across the table from her. "Was your mother's name Verelan, by any chance?"

"Yes. Her name was Verelan."

The innkeeper gave Aeryrn a once-over. Then he said, "My wife knew her. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. She was a wonderful, brave lady."

Aeryrn smiled slightly. It was good to hear his condolences. She felt more welcome here than ever...

Or so she thought.

Aeryrn heard the doors open. She turned around in her seat to see who had come in. Her stomach bottomed out as she saw who it was.

"Excuse me, my dear," the innkeeper said, getting up from the table to greet a small group of soldiers who had just walked in. Aeryrn promptly turned back around and sunk down behind the back of her chair, hoping the soldiers would not see her.

"Laris? I was just talking to somebody named Laris. She's over there."

Aeryrn stiffened. _Great. They knew she was here._

"Out of my way, old man," a familiar voice ordered. A moment later, the speaker was standing right next to where Aeryrn was sitting. Aeryrn did not turn to face them.

"Commander Aeryrn t'Laris," a familiar woman's voice said sharply, "You are under arrest. You will accompany us to Colonel S'Harien's compound, where you will be held in custody and interrogated. Get up."

Aeryrn slowly stood up. She turned and faced the woman who had spoken to her.

"Hello Sela," she said.


End file.
